The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
The flight of a vehicle into a planetary atmosphere requires aerodynamic control during re-entry and flight at hypersonic speeds. During the vehicle's entry into the atmosphere and subsequent flight, the vehicle must utilize its control surfaces to enable the vehicle to reach its intended destination. These control surfaces are subjected to aerodynamic heating and aero-heating induced surface erosion of the controls.